Phonograph-cabinet shutter



Patented Nov. 27, i923.

naires stares tirarsi' sferica.'

PATENT JOHN MILLER, OF BUFFALO, NEVI YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOAJOSE-PH V7.

PARSON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK. Y I

PHONOGRAPH-CABINET S-IUTTER.

Application filed october 5, 1921. Serial Nc. 505,667.

To all whom t may concern.' Y

Be it known that I, JOHN C. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have kinvented`new and useful Improvements in Phonograph-Cabinet Shutters, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates t0 a door operating mechanism and more particularly to the closure for controlling the opening invv the front end of the tone chamber of a phonograph cabinet which contains the sound producing mechanism.

lt is the purpose of this invention to provide a closure for this opening which'is so constructed that the two doors will open and closesimultaneously upon operating one of them and in which Vthe mechanism is so arranged as .not to interfere with the tone producing mechanism. l

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a phonograph cabinet equipped with my invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line '3l-3, Fig. 2. Figure t is a perspective view of one of the doors, the swinging arms supporting the same and one of the gears for causing the two doors of the cabinet to move in unison.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

5 represents the tone chamber of the phonograph cabinet which is adapted to contain a tone or soundproducing mechanism of any suitable and approved construction and which is provided in its front wall with an opening 6 extending from the top 7 to the bottom 8 of thechamber. y

My improved closure which controls the openings 6 is constructed as follows:

9, 9 represents two upright doors which are arranged within the tone chamber adjacent to opposite vertical edges of the opening and are adapted to move toward and from each other forthe purpose of covering or uncovering this opening. Y These doors are preferably curved in horizontal section, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, so that when their opposite vertical edges engageV each other and form a complete cover across the opening 6 these doorA sections bulge outwardly and present a cylindrical surface.

During the opening and closing` movement of the doors, the same swing horizontally and for this purpose each of the Adoors is preferably supported by means of a pair of horizontally swinging upper and lower rock arms 10 and 11, the members of each pair being arranged within the tone chamber and secured at their front or outer ends to the upper and lower edges ofthe respective door 9 while their inner or rear ends are pivoted to the top and bottom of the tone chamber by means of screws 12, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 or by any other suitable means. kThe aXis of the two pairs of rock arms are preferably arranged transversely side by side and these two pairs or arms and the doors carried thereby are caused to rock or swing in unison, this being preferably accomplished by providing the lower arm 11 of each pair with a gear segment 13 which meshes with the gear segment Vof the other lower rock arm 11. By thus intermeshing these gears, the two doors `are caused to move in unison both when opening or closing the same, so that it is only necessary to manipulate one of these doors for the purpose of operating both of them. For convenience in operating the doors a handle or thumb piece 14 is appliedto the outer side of each door adjacent to its front edge. By means of this organization, the sound emitting opening of the tone chamber will always present a balanced appearance, inasmuchas the two halves of this opening are always of equal width on opposite sides of the center of the cabinet regardless of whether this opening is wide or narrow.'

For the purpose of modifying the tone which passes from the chamber outwardly n through the opening 6 when the doors 9, 9 are open, a screen is provided which is upright and extends across this opening between the doors 9, 9. In its preferred form this screen comprises a frame 15 which forms the'border of the screen and a central panel 16 of woven fabric or the like. The frame of this screen is connected centrally at its upper and lower ends with the top and bottom of the tone chamber as shown at 17 17, whereby the screen is supported in its proper place. On opposite sides of Yits up- Vper and lower central parts, the frame of the screen is provided with horizontal recesses or slots 18, 19, forming passages which receive the upper rand lower arms 10 and 11 of each door and permit these arms to swing i'recly outwardly and inwardly upon opening and closing the'doors.

This closure for the tone outlet opening of a phonograph tone chamber is not only simple in construction and eiicient in operation, but the same is also disposed within the tone chamber so as to be out of the way and not encroach upon the space within this chamber which is required for the accommodation of the tone producing mechanism and other parts usually associated therewith. v

l claim as my invention:

1. A chamber having an opening, a closure for said openino comprising doors. arranged at opposite edges of said opening and movable toward and from each other, horizontally swinging arms carrying said doors, intermeshing gearing mounted on said arms and causing said doors to move in unison,v

and an upright screen arranged across said opening and having slots through Which said arms move upon opening and closing said doors. l

2. A chamber having an opening, a closure for said opening comprising two curved doors arranged adjacent to opposite vertical edges of said opening and movable toward and from each other, pairs of horizontally swinging arms connected at their outer ends with the upper and lower edges of each door and projecting inwardly therefrom and pivoted at their inner ends by vertical pivots to the top and bottom of the chamber, intermeshing gear segments connected with the armsoA one pairtand an upright screen ar ranged across said opening and having the central part of each 'of itsedges connected with said chamber and provid-ed in the respective edges with horizontal slots through which said arms move upon opening and closing said doors. JOHN C. MILLER. 

